Strong Enough
by Xanderette43
Summary: Xander and Dawn the morning after. Sequel to 'Unabashedly Yours'.


Title: Strong Enough  
  
Author: Christine  
  
E-mail: Buffygirl43hotmail.com  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Buffy characters, sadly. I just use them for my amusement.  
  
Spoilers: Post 'Dirty Girls'  
  
Pairing: Dawn/Xander  
  
Author's Notes: I really wasn't planning on writing a continuation of ' Unabashedly Yours' (read that first), but since I've gotten some positive feedback on it, I thought it'd be nice to see the next morning.  
  
I can feel the sunlight's rays warming up the right side of my body as I slowly wake up. I sense someone lying next to me and I look over, brushing a strand of hair from his eye patch. He's sound asleep and although I have to go to the bathroom, I stay there and just watch him rest, his breath labored and soft against the pillow. His arm is slung over my shoulder and I smile, snuggling closer to him. It felt so good to fall asleep in his arms, for the first time in my life I felt complete. I glance past him and see that the clock says its almost 9 o'clock. No school though since they cancelled it two weeks ago. I lay my head back on my pillow and close my eyes again, not wanting to get up and start another horribly long day. I can feel myself starting to fall back to sleep when there's a loud knock on my door, and before I can even move to get up and open it, it creaks open and I can hear someone walk into my room and gasp. I keep my eyes closed and pretend I'm still asleep. I can feel them looking at us and I pray that its not Buffy. Or Spike for that matter. I hear the voice laugh and it sounds like Faith. Good, at least she won't give a damn. I can hear her mutter something about Xander and I and then leave the room again. I crack my eyes open again and look at Xander who hasn't moved at all since Faith came in. I close my eyes but my bladder feels like its about to explode, so I shift a little, picking Xander's arm up and off of me as I start sliding out of bed. I'm almost out from underneath the covers when I hear him murmur something in his sleep.  
  
I lean over and kiss his forehead gently, not wanting to wake him. I slide my feet into my slippers and quietly open and shut my door behind me. I take a quick glance at the hallway to see if anyone's around, but thankfully no one is. I tiptoe into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it behind me. The SIT's have a knack for walking in on me all the time, usually right after I've come out of the shower. I go to the bathroom and as I'm washing my hands at the sink I look into the mirror and cringe, my hair is a mess. I grab the brush off the sink and run it through my hair, getting out all the tangles. As I'm brushing my teeth I hear someone come upstairs and I quickly rinse my mouth out and toss my toothbrush back into its holder. I unlock and open the door as quietly as I can and peer out into the hallway. I see Willow and Kennedy closing the door to Mom's old room, I can just imagine what they're up to. I duck into the hallway and make a mad dash for my door, opening and closing it as quickly as I can. I turn the lock on it to make sure no one else happens to make a guest appearance and I silently walk back to my bed. Xander still hasn't moved from his position and I slide back in underneath the covers and his embrace. I hear him grunt softly and I cover my mouth to keep from giggling. I see his right eye open slightly and the corners of his mouth turn up, giving me an early morning smile. His hand runs up and down the small of my back as he greets me good morning.  
  
"And what are you doing up at this early hour?" His voice is husky and I smile as I move to sit up.  
  
"My bladder wouldn't let me go back to sleep." I lean down to kiss his lips but he moves suddenly and I end up kissing his nose. He laughs as he slowly sits up next to me. "That was supposed to end up on your lips." He nods in understanding and leans over to kiss me, my eyes closing automatically, but he stops suddenly and as I open my eyes I see him holding the side of his head in pain. I panic; I can see flashbacks of Mom gripping her head in such pain before she died. "Xander, are you okay?" He looks up at me and nods.  
  
"Sometimes I get this sharp pain in my ey-" He stops. "-where my eye was. The doctor said it'll pass eventually."  
  
My heart breaks for him again; I can't stand to see him hurting. I hold his hand and softly stroke the left side of his face. "Did the doctor tell you anything that would help heal it faster?"  
  
He grips my hand tightly. "No, just to keep taking the antibiotics and to change the gauze every five hours or so." He glances at my alarm clock. "Which would be about now."  
  
He moves to get up but I put my hand to his chest stopping him. "I'll do it." He looks at me uncertainly, hesitating.  
  
"I don't know Dawn, I mean I appreciate it, but it's really nothing anyone wants to see. Me included. It's..." He trails off, becoming distant. "I'm not used to seeing myself like this yet. I was never quite the looker before this, and now..." He clears his throat and shrugs. "Well if there's one good thing that comes out of this," He points to his eye patch. "Maybe I'll get a nifty handicapped license plate for my car so I can race the old people for parking spots at the store." He looks at me and his fake smile falters.  
  
I hold his hand tightly as I lean over and kiss him lightly. "You don't have to be strong in front of me Xander, you know that."  
  
He nods and I can see his lip quiver slightly. "I have to be Dawnie, otherwise I don't think I'll ever be able to be okay again."  
  
I shake my head. "Its okay to lean on someone else you know, come here." I pull him into my arms and for a moment he tenses up and I open my mouth to say something but he suddenly crushes me to him and I envelop him, my arms going around him as his head leans against my chest. I feel his whole body shudder, and I realize he's crying. I feel his hot tears being absorbed into the thin white tank top I'm wearing and I bite my lip, forcing myself not to cry too. We sit there for what seems like hours, when it's only been minutes. I rock him back and forth ever so slowly, running my hands through his short hair. His shuddered sobs quiet suddenly and he pulls back a little to look at me.  
  
"Xander I -"  
  
His lips are on mine before I can finish talking, his kisses are urgent and needy, and even though I know we shouldn't be doing this, I'm kissing him back with just as much fervor. A tear from his cheek falls onto mine and silently falls onto my shirt as his lips leave mine and his hands begin caressing the sides of my chest. I pull him closer to me and his lips begin trailing down the hollow of my neck and past my shoulders; dipping down between the middle of my breasts. I gasp and lay back on my bed. His hands slip underneath my tank top and the moment his hands touch my bare skin I knew I was a goner. As his hands wander across my abdomen, we hear a knock on the door, and both of us jump.  
  
"Just thought I'd give you two lovebirds a heads up before the queen bee comes looking for you." Faith chuckled to herself as she turned from the opposite side of the door and went downstairs again.  
  
Xander bit his lip as he looked to Dawn, who appeared to be calm. "Faith knows?"  
  
She nodded. "She came in while you were still asleep and saw us in bed together." Dawn nervously twirled a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. "But, it's Faith; she wouldn't say anything right?"  
  
He nodded slowly. "Probably not, but she'll probably start teasing us mercilessly."  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Well then, let's go down there and face the music."  
  
To be continued...


End file.
